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CREST Newsletter | October - December 2017

As 2017, the UN's International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, draws to a close, CREST is busier than ever supporting destination communities worldwide. These past three months have been jam-packed with projects, ranging from advocating for U.S. travel to Cuba to preparing a Middle East country's responsible-travel upgrades. But there's much more to share, so take a look at the teasers below, which are linked to articles demonstrating how CREST continues to transform the way the world travels.

Staying the Course: A Coalition Advocates for Travel to Cuba

When it comes to traveling to Cuba, you've probably seen the headlines: a hurricane, diplomats removed from embassies, a State Department Travel Warning, tightened travel restrictions. But what's it all mean? The Cuba Travel Advocacy Coalition, comprised of CREST and several travel-industry and educational partners, is working tirelessly to let people know that travel to Cuba is still safe and legal -- not to mention important. For details on this ongoing effort, click here. Would you like to visit Cuba with CREST in 2018? Find the Expression of Interest here.

Talk About Timely: CREST Publishes 4th Book in Caribbean Series

On the heels of a devastating hurricane season, we just published the fourth, and final, volume in a series of books focused on coastal and marine tourism and environmental challenges and opportunities in the Caribbean. It’s titled: Marine Tourism, Climate Change, and Resilience in the Caribbean, Volume II: Recreation, Yachts, and Cruise Ships. For a summary of the new book, and the series, click here.

Up and Running: A Great Start in Chihuahua

An indigenous tourism operation in Chihuahua, facilitated by CREST and its Mexican partners, was given a soft launch in October. Deemed a success, Experiencias Turísticas Rarámuri is now open to the general public. Read more about it here.

CREST Completes Rock-Hewn Church Project in Ethiopia

The Tigrai province in Ethiopia is home to hundreds of "rock-hewn" churches carved into caves and out of rocks between the 4th and 15th centuries. While some are well-known, and over-visited, CREST helped prepare many more for sustainable tourism and long-term preservation. For more details about the just-finished project, click here.

CREST Wins Contract for Sustainable Tourism Project in Oman

Oman may be emerging as a Middle East leader in sustainable tourism, but its visitor numbers are still modest. CREST and two partners just landed a contract that will help grow that number, in a responsible way, and create 500,000 new jobs. Find out how here.

CREST Undertakes GSTC Destination Assessment in Cozumel

In November, the World Wildlife Fund awarded CREST a contract to conduct a destination assessment of Cozumel, Mexico, a leading cruise destination in the Caribbean. It's part of an ongoing sustainable tourism project you can read about here.

World Tourism Day 2018: What's in the Works?

On Sept. 27, 2017, CREST co-hosted a forum recognizing the UN's Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development in Washington, D.C., and 140 people showed up and loved it. The question now is,What's in store for Sept. 27, 2018? Read this, and you'll find out.

CREST Shares Its Expertise

The final quarter of 2017 was a busy one for CREST representatives sharing the organization's vision and expertise with others in the sustainable-tourism field. We participated in a travel-entrepreneur summit in New York City, presented at a UNWTO conference in Jamaica, contributed to the review of WTTC’s new report on overtourism, and spoke in several educational settings. Click here for a full account.

Major Milestone Achieved for Cape Cod Philanthropy Program

CARE for the Cape and Islands, an organization inspired and fiscally sponsored by CREST, recently celebrated its 5th anniversary. CARE works to bring together the community of and visitors to Cape Cod to execute environmental stewardship and cultural heritage preservation projects. To read about the celebration, and CARE's many accomplishments, click here.

Responsible Travel Companies Commit to Supporting CREST

Among those who support CREST's efforts, our Platinum Sponsors are especially appreciated. These travel companies commit to donating accommodation or tour packages to CREST travel auctions for five years, which provide critical funding and help with budgetary planning. We have three new sponsors to thank, and you can meet them here.

Thank You, Holiday Auction Donors! Next Up,...

CREST's Holiday Travel Auction was a wonderful way to cap the calendar year. It provided travelers with the opportunity to bid on incredible responsible-travel-oriented trips, and its proceeds provide a much-needed source of revenue to support the many destination communities CREST helps worldwide. Check out who participated this year, and what auction's up next.

Expanding CREST's Knowledge Base: New Academic Affiliates

We welcome four professors to our Academic Affiliates network, which is comprised of higher-ed-level educators focused on topics near and dear to our hearts. Meet them here.

Work Trade Programs, an Antidote to Overtourism

Ellen Ray, who just finished up an internship at CREST, has had great experiences traveling abroad via work trade programs. In this essay, she explains how they operate and why they serve as a solution to the overtourism problem.

Welcome to Our Newest Intern, Kelsey Frenkiel

Born and raised in New Jersey, and a graduate of the College of William & Mary, our new intern, Kelsey Frenkiel, went on to study a unique subject at Oxford Brookes University in the UK, one she hopes to apply to a career in sustainable tourism. To find out what it is, and more about Kelsey, click here.

Meet a Few of Our Responsible Travel Partners

Image source: Na'atik

No one organization or entrepreneurial enterprise can take on the challenge of making this world more sustainable by itself. So CREST is proud to align itself with dozens of responsible travel "partners," or associates worth a shout-out. Check out three here and see what they’re up to.

CREST in the News

We helped Orbitz help others cut down on overtourism, launched a "Stay the Course" campaign regarding to travel to Cuba, and played a part in the amazing story of a First Nations councilor and entrepreneur who's helped transform his British Columbia community. For details on all these stories, covered by the media, click here.

CREST is a licensed 501(c)3 in the District of Columbia. Want to help us to transform the way the world travels? Support our work here.